


Kuchiyose: Izuna Uchiha!

by KitokaMada



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Edo Tensei, Injury, Kissing, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Love, M/M, One Shot, Romance, Sad, Senju Hashirama - Freeform, TobiIzu, Uchiha Izuna - Freeform, Uchiha Izuna Lives, Uchiha Madara - Freeform, War, senju tobirama - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitokaMada/pseuds/KitokaMada
Summary: It’s well known what Tobirama created the Edo Tensei for - for the battle to easily wipe out the enemy. But that wasn’t the real reason - he had created it because of love. After Izuna died, he did everything in his power to bring him back to life. Back to himself, so that they could realize the dreams they had spun during the war. But now there was peace between the Senju and the Uchiha.~"We’ll sit together on the dock behind our house, let our feet dangle in the water and watch the sunset. That's how we’ll turn old and grey." A short pause followed, then Izuna giggled softly. "Well, I will, you’ll just become old."~
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Izuna
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	Kuchiyose: Izuna Uchiha!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again. This is the second story I translated so far. Maybe I'm going for another one. We'll see.
> 
> I still have no clue of tagging. So, if you know some I could add, just let me now.
> 
> Have fun reading!

**Kuchiyose: Izuna Uchiha! - You are my everything  
  
**

With quick, quiet steps he walked through the forest. Looking around alertly, he made sure no one was following him. Again and again he activated his Sharingan, searching for more sources of chakra. He dived under a tree, then disappeared behind a dense curtain of undergrowth that hung down behind a large rock. With his head bowed, he walked through the narrow passage, came out on the other side in a clearing. When he saw him standing there, he accelerated his steps and fell around his neck.

Tobirama wrapped his arms around his body, pulled him tight, pressed his nose into his hair and breathed in his scent deeply. Full of longing, two soft lips pressed themselves onto his own. With one hand on Izuna's neck, he returned the kiss for a moment before releasing it and checking his friend extensively.  
"Are you all right?" he asked, looking for bandages on his body that indicated their last fight.

"Yes, I'm fine." Izuna put a hand to his cheek, forcing Tobirama to look him in the eyes again. He stole another kiss, then leaned his head against his shoulder and sighed once. "I don't want to hide anymore. Can't they finally make peace?" His voice was soft. Sadness resonated in it.

Gently Tobirama stroked his hair, only ever up to the hair band. "It's not as if Hashirama didn't want one. It's on-"

"Madara, I know," he interrupted him. As always, his brother was the problem. Over the years his hatred for the Senju had grown more and more. Izuna had also hated them for a long time, after all they had three of his brothers on their consciences. One by one, he had wanted to wipe them out. But an incident had opened his eyes - Tobirama had opened his eyes. And so Izuna had been able to conquer his hatred and transform it into an equally strong but much more beautiful feeling - love. He loved Tobirama, wanted to show it to everyone, but it was impossible. Madara wouldn’t understand their relationship, would probably even kill Tobirama because he believed that he had done something to his brother, had influenced him. Hashirama could possibly understand them, but for Madara it was impossible. He would also declare Izuna crazy, if his little brother suddenly tried to get him to agree to a truce with the clan they had been fighting all their lives. So he kept up appearances, pretended to hate the Senju like everyone else, even though it hurt him. But he knew that he would fall on deaf ears.

A hand on his cheek brought him back to the present with his thoughts. To the man he loved more than anything else.  
"It's not your fault," Tobirama said softly and stroked over his skin. "You cannot change it.”

Yes, it was his fault, but Tobirama couldn’t know that. When he had been led by hatred for the Senju, he had advised Madara not to accept the first peace offer Hashirama had made to them after their father's death, after Madara had become head of the clan. Only because of him, because his brother had listened to him this one time, they had continued to fight. It was his only fault that the war was not over yet.

"What else has to happen for this damn war to end? How many more people have to lose their lives before this madness is finally over?" Izuna wanted to know in anger and desperation. He had had enough of the constant fighting, of the eternal fear of who he would lose next.

Tobirama had no idea. He would have liked to tell Izuna that the desired time was close, but that was probably a lie. If it were up to Madara, it would probably go on like this forever, until the entire Senju clan was wiped out.

"We don't have much time left," he said instead, looking at the sun. They never had much time for their secret meetings. If they stayed away too long, it would be noticeable, especially since they were on their way alone. In these times, no one went on patrol alone.

Izuna nodded, sealed their lips again and pressed himself closer to the other body. The kiss distracted him from all the negative thoughts, made his heart beat faster and caused a slight tingling in his stomach. As Tobirama put his tongue between his lips, he slowly let himself sink onto the grass, pulling him along and over himself. The first hand slid under his robe. Goosebumps spread over his body, as it always did when Tobirama touched him. He pushed his top up and over his head. He placed his hands on his bare chest, enjoying the warm skin under his fingers. His dark blue robe, which opened at the bottom, was pushed up. A moment later his trousers had disappeared. Once again goosebumps spread, as the grass tickled his legs. Tobirama pulled his trousers down and Izuna onto his lap. As Izuna slowly rubbed against him, panting softly, he quickly opened the fasteners and pulled the last piece of cloth over his head. He placed his lips on Izuna's chin, moved them down his neck, pressing them gently against his skin. He scraped his teeth over particularly sensitive areas, making Izuna shiver. The latter pulled his head back by his hair and kissed him as he felt the first damp finger inside. He was incredibly grateful that Tobirama had mastered water as an element and could use it anytime, even when there was no water source nearby. With his other hand he pulled the hair band out of Izuna's hair, which fell like a black waterfall over his shoulders and back. Tobirama lifted his head and looked at the black-haired beauty sitting there on his lap, gazing at him lustfully from glassy eyes. He put his free hand to his cheek, enjoying the sight as Izuna panted excitedly as he let a second digit slide into him. Izuna leaned his head against Tobirama's hand, lay his own on top of it. Again he leaned forward, kissed Tobirama once more and gasped against his lips.

It didn't take long, they were both in a hurry, before he lowered himself onto him. Satisfied, he moaned against Tobirama's lips, moving his pelvis evenly, rotating it. Their kisses became more passionate, the movements faster, jumpier, ultimately more uncoordinated. Just because he was sure that they were completely alone and no one would hear them, he didn’t hold back. Moaning loudly, he let his head fall back, felt lips on his neck again and moved more urgently against Tobirama. His body cramped up several times. Jumpily he let himself sink on him, moaned his name and came when he had him completely inside him. He could feel Tobirama cum too. Again he kissed him passionately, leaned against him so that Tobirama was pressed into the meadow and lay on him.  
  


For quite a while they stood in the clearing - arm in arm, pressed tightly together. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other. They had already put their clothes back on some time ago. Before that, they had lain together in the grass and talked for a while, making declarations of love and exchanging kisses. Now they had to leave, which as usual was the hardest thing for both of them. They didn't know when they would see each other again the next time, regardless of the battlefield. If they would at all because one of them would probably fall in battle before.

Slowly and reluctantly, Izuna released the embrace, but left his hands on Tobirama's sides, who shoved one of the long strands behind his ear and pressed his lips to his forehead. Izuna turned his back to him, gave him the hair band and had his hair tied into a new ponytail. He knew that Tobirama loved the feeling of his hair between his fingers. Then he turned to him, gave him another kiss and completely detached himself from him.

"I hope we can meet again soon," he said softly, stroking Tobirama's fingers who had reached out for his hand.

"Me too," he replied, just slowly letting go of his beloved's hand. Izuna gave him another one of the bright smiles he loved so much, turned away and went back through the small cave, past the stone and under the tree.  
  


The next time they met, was the next day. But they weren’t alone, they faced each other as enemies on the battlefield. Next to them Madara and Hashirama fought incessantly. And even if they didn't want to, they still had to get serious and fight each other as if their lives depended on it.

They were facing each other, both swords in hand. Izuna leaned forward, took position and attacked Tobirama. He blocked the blow. But Izuna was close to him, looking into his eyes. When the Uchiha activated the Sharingan, Tobirama was forced to close his eyes, otherwise he would be trapped in a genjutsu. Izuna took advantage of this moment of inattention, ramming his knee into Tobirama's left side and hitting his face so hard that he flew back a few meters. Tobirama slipped over the ground, was slowed down by a boulder and remained sitting leaning against it. But Izuna wasted no time, hurling a fireball at Tobirama. Unable to dodge quickly enough, Tobirama formed finger signs and created a dragon out of water. Both jutsu collided, creating a large cloud of steam that swallowed the men. Izuna saw several Kunai flying towards him thanks to his Sharingan and avoided them. But he noticed the seal on the last kunai too late. Tobirama appeared in front of him, used the Hiraishin Giri and hit Izuna with his katana on the left side. When he realised that he had actually hurt his friend, he stopped as if rooted to the ground. He had used such tricks before, the Hiraishin Giri was not unknown to Izuna, he should have seen the attack coming. That could only mean that he had been distracted by something.

Madara hurried to his younger brother, put his arm over his shoulders and supported him. In front of them, Hashirama now also stood. He raised his arm and pointed with the katana at his opposite who then said his name.

"Madara, you cannot defeat me," Hashirama said. "Why don't we end this? If the two strongest clans - Uchiha and Senju - unite, there will be no one who can take us on." He put the katana away and extended his hand to Madara instead. Madara leaned forward, trying to take a step towards Hashirama as Izuna moved.

It incredibly hurt him to say those words, not even knowing why he was doing it. This was exactly what he and Tobirama had been wishing for a long time, peace between the clans. "Don't, brother." Blood was running down the corner of his mouth.

Madara looked at him with widened eyes. "Izuna!"

"Have you forgotten that these bastards killed everyone... the Uchiha?" He felt Tobirama's piercing look in his back and wanted to take back the words the same moment he had uttered them. He wanted to shout at them, tell them that they should finally get along and become allies, but he had achieved the opposite. His old hate-crazed self would certainly have been proud of it.  
Madara used a smoke bomb and brought them to safety. Normally, he would never escape from a fight, but his brother was more important to him than his pride. In return, he even left the remaining members of his clan behind on the battlefield and let them fall into the enemies hands.  
  


In the evening, Tobirama sat on the veranda of their house, watching the sun disappear behind the trees and colouring the sky red. Blood red.  
How could this have happened? How had it been possible that he had actually hurt Izuna so badly? And why had he stopped Madara from accepting the peace offer? Had he not wanted peace after all, even though he had said so all along? No, that couldn’t be. Izuna's feelings for him were real, he knew it. But why had all this happened then?

He hadn’t slept at all that night. The following day he was restless as well, avoiding any contact so that he wouldn’t have to explain his agitation and restlessness. The second night he couldn’t stand it any longer. He pushed the blanket away, got up from his futon and put on his black battle gear, but left the armour off. Silently, he left the house and made his way to the Uchiha territory. His sensory abilities helped him to avoid all humans. Finally, he crouched behind a fence in the bushes, in front of him the house that Madara and Izuna inhabited. It was brightly lit, so unnoticed intrusion would only make it more difficult. Even though it was the craziest and probably the most dangerous thing he had ever done, it was worth it to him. Even if they should catch him.

Just as he arrived at the window leading to the room where he felt Izuna, its door was being closed. He waited a few seconds, and then swung himself skillfully and silently through the window. Only a few candles and the moonlight from outside illuminated the room a little. Still it was enough for him to see everything he needed to. Izuna lay covered on a futon in the middle of the room. Carefully, he let himself sink to his knees beside him.

"Tobi...?" he heard Izuna's voice lowly. Slowly a hand moved out from under the blanket, which Tobirama immediately took into his own and gently pressed it in response. "What are you doing here...?" He had never seen his loved one so weak. And the knowledge that this was his fault, broke his heart.

"I had to look after you," he whispered, so no one would hear him. "I'm so sorry, Izuna. I didn't want this to happen."

Izuna's eyelids flickered, he then opened his eyes. Slowly he turned his head a little aside, looking at Tobirama. "You’re an idiot. If they catch you, you’re going to be badly off."

"I know, but I'm careful. I couldn't help it." A little smile fell on Izuna's lips. "How are you?" Tobirama asked the question he had dreaded all along. "Will you be okay?"

"Sure, what do you think?" Izuna replied. The smile turned into a little grin. "It takes more than your stupid Hiraishin Giri to finish me." Only with difficulty could he suppress the pain, he felt permanently, in his facial expressions. But Tobirama believed him, he couldn't help it because he didn't even dare to think of the other option.

"You should have seen this coming. What did you think about?" Tobirama now wanted to know, sat cross-legged and continued to hold Izuna's hand.

"About you," he replied and stroked the other’s fingers. "And yesterday. What we talked about." The talking hurt, intensified the pain, but he didn’t want to show how bad his condition actually was. Tobirama worried enough about him.

Understandingly the Senju nodded. "And why did you say that? Why did you stop Madara from accepting the offer? That way we would have finally reached our goal and could have been together properly."

Izuna was silent. How could he explain that? Just when Tobirama thought he wouldn’t get an answer he spoke up. "I don’t know. I really don't know. I don't know what got into me and I wish I had never said that stuff."

Tobirama brought Izuna's hand to his face and pressed his lips to his fingers as a sign that he forgave him and wasn’t angry at him.

"You should leave," Izuna then said after a moment. "Madara will be back soon. It's a miracle that he's gone at all,"

Tobirama’s fingers automatically closed tighter around Izuna’s. He didn't want to leave, but instead staying by his side and making sure he would recover. But he couldn't stay, steps could already be heard on the stairs. So he leaned forward, pressing his lips gently on Izuna’s, who timidly returned the kiss.

"You have to go," he whispered against his lips as the footsteps were already heading for the door. But Tobirama kissed him once more. Slowly the door was pushed open. "Tobi-" he whispered pleadingly, but before he had finished saying the name, Tobirama had disappeared. Only a gentle puff in the room showed that he had been there just a second ago. A single tear ran down the corner of his eye as Madara entered the room.

He laid a hand on the tree he had marked on the way there. He took one last look over his shoulder back to the estate where he saw Madara closing the window. Then he set off.  
  


A few days had passed before they were called to the battlefield by Madara at sunrise. The head of the Uchiha clan was facing them. They immediately noticed his changed Sharingan. "Those eyes," Hashirama said in surprise. "I have sent you an cease-fire agreement. If you truly want to protect the Uchiha, let's stop fighting," he tried again to convince Madara to make peace.

"What happened to Izuna?" Tobirama asked endeavored coolly. When necessary, he could suppress any emotion in his words and facial expressions. He had let his gaze wander over the field several times, had also looked for Izuna's chakra. Normally he always stood to Madara's right side, but he wasn’t here. Tobirama hoped that he was doing well and that he just needed to keep recovering from the fight. But this hope was soon shattered by Madara.

"My little brother succumbed to his injuries. He left me a power that will help protect the Uchiha.” No sooner had he ended, blue flames formed around him, building up to a skeleton and then a whole body. "Hashirama!"

The head of the Senju clan started the attack, striking Madara’s Susanoo with huge vines. "Enough, Madara," he tried again. "Fighting is meaningless!"

"Meaningless? Then why did Izuna die?!" He took a few steps towards his opponent. "It's because... because you bastards killed him!"  
  


The fight had lasted all day. In the end, Madara was lying with his back on the ground. "It's impossible to go back. You and I are not the same. I don’t have a single brother left. I have nothing to protect."  
Tobirama's heart contracted at these words. It was hard for him not to just disappear. He couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that Izuna was really dead. That he would never see him again. He had not even been able to say goodbye to him properly.  
  


Peace was made and the village of Konohagakure was founded. Hashirama became Hokage and him and Madara became friends again, as they had been in old times.

Tobirama stood on the roof of the Hokage’s residence. This place had once been the clearing where he and Izuna had always secretly met. He let his gaze wander thoughtfully over the village. A year had already passed since the great battle. As well as Izuna's death. He had already been alone for a year. Hashirama noticed that Tobirama had become even more thoughtful and withdrew than before. Every now and then he tried to introduce him to one or another woman, hoping that it would change his brother's thoughts. Thoughts about which Tobirama spoke to no one. Still no one knew about the relationship the two had had at that time.  
  


 _They_ _were lying in the grass, their pulse was still a bit elevated. Izuna had laid his head on Tobirama's chest, who was running his fingers through his hair. He himself painted small_ _circles_ _on his belly, causing the muscles under his fingers to twitch slightly._

 _"When_ _we finally have peace," he began, "we can finally be together. Together we walk through the village our brothers will build and no one looks at us weirdly."_

 _“Maybe in the beginning they will,”_ _Tobirama interjected, deciding to share in Izuna's dreams._

 _"Maybe. But just_ _because it's unusual to see something like that. Eventually it becomes the most normal thing in the world. We go on missions together, live together and have a happy life. Without war. Without the fear of losing someone every day."_

 _"That_ _sounds_ _almost_ _too_ _good_ _to_ _be_ _true,"_ _muttered_ _Tobirama_ _quietly,_ _not_ _wanting_ _to_ _let_ _this beautiful illusion burst._

 _"For_ _now. But it will be like that one day, believe me." He_ _looked_ _briefly into his eyes, then laid his head back onto his chest. "We’ll sit together on the dock behind our house, let our feet dangle in the water and watch the sunset. That's how we’ll turn old and grey." A short pause followed, then Izuna giggled softly. "Well, I will, you’ll just become old." His body trembled slightly as he laughed softly._

 _"Thank_ _you," Tobirama grumbled played sourly._

 _Izuna_ _raised a bit,_ _bent_ _over_ _him_ _and_ _sealed_ _their_ _lips._ _"But_ _we'll_ _be_ _together_ _and_ _that's_ _essential."_ _In his radiant smile, Tobirama saw that he really believed in these words. And that's why he wanted to believe in them, too.  
  
_

They had had the conversation the last time they had met in the clearing.  
Tobirama turned away, teleported with the Hiraishin Giri to Izuna's grave and stopped in front of it. His gaze was fixed on the stone, while long suppressed grief rose in him. He closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears, but Izuna's image appeared in his mind’s eye. He quickly opened his eyes again, seeing him was too painful. Madara had clearly gotten over his brother’s death than he had. He still didn’t want to believe that he would never see Izuna again. Again and again he hoped to find him standing at his door one day. But that would never happen.

Like almost every night, Tobirama lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. When he slept, he mostly dreamt of Izuna. And when he woke up, his body sometimes demanded attention, but he refused to give it. He even was ashamed that his dreams caused such a thing.

Slowly his eyes closed. Just before he fell asleep, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning. He immediately sat upright in bed. His heart was beating faster. He couldn't do that. And if it worked? He struggled with himself, but couldn't get rid of the idea and stood up. Quickly he put something on and went to the Hokage’s residence with Hashirama's key. There he entered a room containing top secret and partly forbidden scrolls. Some of them were really dangerous, so nobody should get hold of them.

He searched the shelves thoroughly and found some matching scrolls. He spread the first one out on the table and at the same time took another one in his hand and read it across. That's how he spent the night - reading one scroll, taking notes, reading another and adding or correcting what he had written.

Several hours passed in this way. Hours became days. Days became weeks and weeks became months. No one noticed anything of the secret experiments he was conducting. After he had revised several drafts and had come to the conclusion that it should work like this, he started with mice. The mice became rabbits. Various other animals followed, until he finally arrived at experiments with humans sentenced to death. He knew it was wrong what he was doing, but he was gripped by zeal. A few times he had had small successes that drove him to continue. Because they showed that it was possible. But still something almost always went wrong.

He sat in front of the scroll, read it once more and looked back at his notes. Something he must have missed that it didn't work. "Where is the mistake...?" he murmured to himself and read again the name of the Jutsu: Edo Tensei. Impure World Reincarnation. "To wish for somebody... to call for somebody... No... Summoning?" The scales fell from his eyes. An important part was missing - the incantation. Hastily he scribbled 'Kuchiyose' in front of the rest of the names and added a few things here and there. Again he started a try and almost tripped when it actually worked. At least with a rat. It just needed some of his own blood. An energetic knocking tore him out of his thoughts, made him postpone everything else, even if it didn't suit him at all.  
  


Two weeks later he stood in an abandoned shrine. When he had stood in front of Izuna's grave, he was no longer sure whether he should actually do it. Desecration of a grave was of a completely different caliber than the rest of his experiments. He had found it incredibly difficult to take this step. So he had been meticulous to damage as little as possible and had then restored everything to its original state. From Hashirama he knew that Madara visited Izuna's grave from time to time. So he should find it as it always was.

Thoroughly he checked whether he had observed everything. For a moment he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to collect himself. Then he sat down in front of the spread out scroll, bit his finger and spread the blood on the paper. With his hands he formed the sign for snake, concentrated his chakra and shouted "Edo Tensei no Jutsu!” Black lines and symbols spread out on the floor, dissolving around the man who was bound and unconscious opposite him. Below him a black circle appeared from which particles stuck to his body and changed his shape.

"Izuna?" he said softly as a movement went through the body. He slipped towards him and carefully touched his hand. At the same moment his eyes opened. Tobirama's heart skipped a beat.

"Where am I?" Izuna asked, letting Tobirama pull him onto his feet.

A queasy feeling crept up the Senju. "Don't you recognise me?" he asked cautiously. In his attempts, he hadn’t paid attention to whether the memories had returned or whether the reincarnation was an empty shell.

Izuna's gaze wandered through the room, stuck with these words. "Idiot. I would recognize you anywhere.”

Tobirama pulled him tightly into his arms, wrapped them even tighter around him as Izuna pressed himself against him. "I've missed you so much..." One hand wandered into the silky soft hair of the other. He couldn't believe his luck that he had actually managed to reawaken Izuna.

"What’s going on here? Where am I? How did I get here?" Izuna asked confused and slowly separated from Tobirama. He had never seen the other one so happy. "And what's all this stuff laying around here? Where is Madara, I-" Then he remembered what had happened. Tobirama had wounded him in battle and Madara had nursed him. He remembered that he was getting worse and worse and then everything was just black. Seriously he looked at his counterpart. "Tobirama," he paused for a moment, "I died, didn't I?" The smile on Tobirama's face vanished, as he nodded slowly. "So how can I be here when I’m dead? I don't belong here."

"I-" he searched for the right words, but they probably wouldn't exist. "I’ve been working on a jutsu and thus bound your soul from the beyond to a body in this world. And now you are back. "

Izuna couldn’t believe his ears. He had never heard of a jutsu that could revive people. "What was the price for my being here now?" he wanted to know, got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"That’s not important. I would have done anything to get you back." He reached out for Izuna's hand. It lay warm in his.

"And how much time has passed since I died?"

Tobirama swallowed, dodging the question, not thinking that the real Izuna was still buried, but against the dark black eyes in which he had lost himself so often, he had no chance. "Tomorrow it’ll be two years," he replied.

"Tobirama," the word was a single sigh. "How long did you work on this jutsu?"

“Almost a year." Carefully he pulled Izuna back to him, who allowed this to happen and put his arms around the other. "I thought of you every day. After all, it’s my fault you died. But now you're back." Before Izuna could respond, he leaned over and kissed him. Instantly he pulled him closer, intensifying the kiss as Izuna returned it. Just yet he realized, how much he had missed him.

After he had released himself again, Izuna wanted to know what had happened and if Madara was still alive. Tobirama nodded. "I can tell you everything later, but first I want to spend some time with you.” Again he united their lips, slowly pushing Izuna towards the bed that stood in the corner of the room. On the way there, he already began to undress him.  
  


They lay nestled together on the bed. Tobirama tells how things had gone on after Izuna's death. How their brothers had founded a village together, where Senju and Uchiha had lived together in peace ever since.

"That almost sounds like our dream has come true," Izuna said smiling.

"The price, however, was your death," Tobirama lowly remarked.

"It was worth it."

Tobirama shook his head. "No. That price was far too high."

With a gentle kiss, Izuna shut him up. "Before that, thousands of people had died. Maybe I was the key right from the beginning. If I had died earlier, perhaps all the other senseless deaths could have been prevented."

"Don't say that," Tobirama demanded. "You shouldn't have died at all."

Izuna sighed softly, replied nothing more and changed the subject instead. "It would have been nice to build up the life with you we dreamed of together, in this village."

"We still can."

Izuna sat up and looked seriously at his friend. "We can't, because I'm still dead. How do you think Madara would react if I suddenly walked around the village? Probably the poor man would have a heart attack."

"You’re here now. And Madara would understand. He would probably even be happy to

have you back as well." He leaned on his forearms.

Shaking his head, Izuna leaned against the wall. "This is not right. The living ones belong in this world, the dead ones in the afterlife. Besides, you don’t know which other effects this jutsu could have."

"I will work on it, I’ll improve it, so I can have you by my side."

Izuna stood up. Even though he was happy to be with Tobirama, feeling that he missed him despite his death, he knew that he could not stay in this world. It felt wrong. "This Jutsu should be forbidden. No one should have the power to bind souls to this world. You have to let me go again."

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" he evaded Izuna's words with a question. He didn’t want to think about releasing the jutsu and losing Izuna a second time. He wouldn’t survive that. With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Izuna looked at him discontented. "Come here again," Tobirama said, followed by a "please" when Izuna didn’t move at first and finally pulled him into his arms. Like this he lay down with him and pulled the blanket up. The tiredness of the last weeks took over him, so that a little later he fell asleep with his loved one in his arms.

For a while Izuna stayed on top of him, watching him sleeping. He himself wasn’t tired, and also felt nothing else. After all, he was dead. In his mind he repeated what Tobirama had told him. Again and again he had to think of Madara. After lying quietly for a few hours, he carefully got up and dressed himself. Without further ado he threw on a cape, pulled the hood into his face and left the shrine. He followed the only road that finally led him to Konoha. Smiling, he looked at the village. Pride sprouted in him as he remembered that his brother had helped to build it. Chuckling he looked at Hashirama's serious looking face, carved into a large stone wall. Slowly he made his way to the village and looked around. His smile became a bit sadder. He regretted very much that he couldn’t live here with Tobirama.

A symbol, all too familiar to him, caught his attention. Carefully he walked through the archway. On every house the Uchiha crest was visible. Apparently, his clan had been given their own quarter. In the protection of the shadows, he walked carefully through the streets. Somewhere here, his brother would probably be. Curiously, he looked around. Maybe he would have looked for a house here with Tobirama. All streets he followed led to the biggest of all houses. It was not much higher than the others, but it was wider. Again Izuna had to chuckle. That looked quite like Madara. As head of the clan, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to live in the biggest house of all of them. Somewhere his pride had to be accommodated.

After a few seconds he noticed that the house was in complete darkness. Nobody seemed to be there. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity, he wanted to know how his brother was living in the meantime. Without further ado, he jumped over the wall and went through the garden. When his gaze fell to the right, he stopped and had to smile again. There was a small lake behind the house. A footbridge led to it and, judging by the moon’s position, the footbridge pointed west. Probably he and Tobirama would have sat here and watched the sunsets together. Even if this might would have caused a problem with Madara, because he wouldn’t have wanted to live in the same house as Tobirama and vice versa. The idea of the two bickering, made him laugh softly.

Carefully he pushed the door open and explored the house. It was furnished in a spartan and simple way, matching to Madara. Many rooms were empty. Izuna stayed in one of them. It looked just like his own room, which he had occupied before his death. Perhaps it was even the same furniture. The only thing that distinguished this room from the one in his old house, was a small shrine on the wall. Smiling sadly, Izuna pulled the door shut again. So his brother still had him as deep in his heart as it had been before.

Slowly, he left the estate and made his way back when he heard a familiar voice. Carefully, he peered around a corner and saw Hashirama with two other shinobi in a tea shop. "Madara is on a mission and probably won’t return until tomorrow at the earliest. Somewhat disappointed, Izuna let the head hung down. So he wasn’t in the village. He would have liked to take another look at his brother to see how he was doing. As before, he moved past the shop in the shadows. Just as he was about to turn a corner, a voice resounded behind him.

"Hashiramaaa!"

Quickly he took a step deeper into the shadow. Just then he dared to turn around. With quick steps Madara approached the three of them. He wore his armour and a gunbai on his back. Furthermore a metal headband was wrapped around his head.

"I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow," Hashirama greeted his friend and slid a little aside on the bench for him. Madara leaned the gunbai against the table and sat down next to him.

"We know there's not much to it, if you start thinking," the Uchiha replied, took off his headband and massaged his temples with his fingers. Hashirama collapsed depressed.

"Don't be like this now," Madara murmured. "Buy me a drink instead."

“But don't fill him up like last time," one of the other shinobi laughed, what immediately cheered Hashirama up again.

"I'll try to. But Madara can take so little, it's really hard to tell when he's had enough. To be honest, I think it's quite nice when he becomes so clingy," Hashirama laughed heartily now, too.

"I don't become clingy," Madara grumbled discontentedly.

"May I remind you of the one time when you didn't let me go after I brought you home? You pushed me out of bed the next morning because I didn't want to spend the night on the floor and you thought something else happened because you couldn't remember anything and I had undressed you.” The other two joined in Hashirama's laughter.

Madara stood up with an unsatisfied expression on his face. "Fuck you all. I'm going home." He had already swung one leg over the bench when Hashirama held him by his wrist.

"Stay. I'll pay for your food." But Madara didn't notice his words, looked in a direction of dark shadows, because he had the feeling of being watched. He saw one more vague movement, then Hashirama pulled him back onto the bench.

Smirking, Izuna made his way back to the shrine. He apparently didn't have to worry about his brother. Hashirama seemed to take good care of him. And he seemed to be doing well here. Slowly, he began to believe that his death had done something very good. That he of all people would have such a great influence on the future, he never would have thought, which made him proud. All this had definitely been worth dying for. At last there was peace.  
  


When Tobirama woke up the next morning, Izuna lay cuddled up against him with his eyes closed, next to him again. A happy smile spread across his lips, which he pressed against the Uchiha's forehead, who lifted his head and returned the smile. "Good morning. Slept well?" he greeted him and kissed him briefly once. The answer was a consenting growl.

"I haven't slept so well in ages." Gently, he drew Izuna closer so that he was lying on top of him, his chin resting on the hands he had laid on Tobirama's chest. "

They lay there for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. "Do you know how exactly I died?" Izuna broke the silence, felt Tobirama tense up under him.

"What is there to tell? It's pretty clear," he replied, still not wanting to talk about the subject. "You think so?" For a moment he enjoyed the feeling of Tobirama's hand in his hair. That's something he would probably miss most of all. "I had actually been on the mend a bit. It seemed as if I would make it. But all of a sudden the wound became infected. It opened up again and festered. Since I was still very weak anyway, my condition worsened again. It became obvious that I wouldn’t make it," he said. "So I decided to give Madara one last gift and leave my eyes to him. I couldn’t bear the thought that he would turn blind one day. That would mean that he wouldn't be able to remember me, wouldn't know what I looked like. Apparently, I made the fight more difficult for you, but I wanted him to carry a part of me with him all the time, just as he was by my side all the time in my last days. So, when you see him, remember that you are not looking into Madara's eyes but into mine. I see this world through him. A part of me is still here."

In Tobirama's breast everything contracted. Still he nodded once. He was not ready to let Izuna go, nor would he ever be again.  
  


They spent the day together. Talked a lot, went for walks and made love. As evening fell, Tobirama became increasingly uncomfortable. Izuna had become calmer in the last hours. Back at the shrine, Izuna turned to him. "You must release the jutsu," he uttered the words Tobirama had never wanted to hear from his mouth again. So he shook his head. "Tobirama, you have to let me go." His voice was soft, slowly he walked towards the other.

"I can't," Tobirama replied, thinking he could hear his voice trembling slightly. Izuna's hands wrapped around his face.

"Yes, you can. I know you can. You have the strength to get through this, because this time I can say goodbye to you," he encouraged him. "Please." Faithful and full of love, the eyes he loved so much, were looking at him. Tobirama swallowed all the contradictions that lay on his tongue. "You really want this, don't you?" Izuna nodded. "You don't want to be here."

"Tobi..." He put his arms around him. "There is no place I would rather be than right by your side. But I don't belong here. My time in this world is over, you have even extended it a little against all the laws of nature. This is the greatest gift you could still give me. But even if I stay with you, I won’t be happy in this world anymore. This one day together with you was the most beautiful day I ever had. But our time is over. My time is over." Tobirama only took his eyes off Izuna's eyes because he kissed him and closed his own. He couldn’t deny him this wish, he had never been able to do so before. That's why he pulled Izuna all the harder, kissing him with all the feelings he could muster. Izuna let him, kissed him back the same way.

As their lips parted, Tobirama leaned his forehead against Izuna's and reached for his hands. This was also allowed to happen again. Soothingly, Izuna stroked the skin, then smiled encouragingly at his loved one as he slowly let go of his hands.

Tobirama's hands trembled as he slowly formed one finger sign after another. Rat. Ox. monkey.

"Promise me that you won't summon me again. I will wait for you in the hereafter, but please, take your time." The smile never left Izuna's face for a second. Tobirama just nodded, not trusting his voice. Tiger. Dragon. At the last sign he stopped, looking deep into the eyes of Izuna, who kissed him one last time. Boar.

"Edo Tensei no Jutsu, release!" Tobirama uttered the words that tore his heart apart. Instantly, Izuna's skin began to peel off. He put a shimmering hand on his cheek. "I love you, Tobirama."

"I love you too..." he whispered, pressing his lips against his for the last time. Then Izuna's soul left the body that collapsed and disappeared. "I always will..." Tobirama fell on his knees as tears ran down his cheeks.  
  


Several years had passed, during which a lot had happened. Against all hope, Madara had left the village and the first Shinobi World War had broken out after Hashirama's unexpected death.

Together with his team, he squatted down, put two fingers on the ground and thus tracked down their enemies. They were surrounded, there were twenty of them, he told his protégés.  
Based on their chakras, he assumed that they were from Kumogakure - the Kinkaku Butai. Kagami Uchiha concluded that one of them was being used as bait. A dispute broke out between Danzo and Sarutobi because Danzo hadn’t volunteered quickly enough. With a few words Tobirama calmed them down.

"I’m going to be the decoy, obviously," he finally announced. " Danzo intervened, saying he couldn’t be the bait because he was the Hokage and there was no stronger, no greater shinobi in the village than him. Tobirama rose. "Saru," he turned to the young man who raised his head. "Protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And take care of those whom you’ll entrust the next generation to. Starting tomorrow, you’ll become Hokage." Shocked, the young men looked at their leader. "Saru, take care of Konoha!"

"Yes, sir!"

After a few uplifting words, he parted from the group and ran towards the enemy. The Kinkaku Butai was similar to the Anbu unit from Konoha. Tobirama knew that he alone had no chance against twenty of them.  
So now the time had come. The day he would die had come.  
A little smile spread on his lips. Then it wouldn’t take long until he was finally reunited with Izuna.  
  


\- The End (theoretically) -  
  


When Tobirama woke up, he was lying under a tree in a meadow. A few birds were chirping and bees were buzzing. The sky was bright blue. He sat up. The surroundings looked familiar to him, but he still didn’t know where he was. While he looked around for clues, he stood up. Without having a goal, he started walking. It was really a beautiful place where he had ended up.

In front of him lay a hill. After he had climbed it, he knew why everything had seemed so familiar to him. In front of him lay Konoha. It was smaller than he remembered. At the Hokage rock, only his brother's face flaunted, his own was missing. Nevertheless, he made his way down to the village. He knew many of the inhabitants, but they looked just as they did ten years ago. Frowning he went on, when he suddenly saw someone with a long black ponytail in front of him. Even from behind he would recognise that person everywhere. "Izuna!" he shouted, accelerating his steps.

When Izuna heard his name, he turned around and couldn’t believe what he saw. "Tobirama?" Immediately he dropped the bag he was carrying, ran towards the other man and fell around his neck. "What are you doing here?" he asked confused, sliding his hands over Tobirama's upper arms and examining him. He had grown older. His facial features were a little more striking than the last time he had seen him.

"I don't know. Where are we? It looks like Konoha, but Konoha looks different today."

Izuna's smile took on a sad note. "This is what it looks like here since you sent me back. We are in the afterlife."

The afterlife? That meant- Tobirama remembered. There had been war and he had gone into battle as a decoy. He had lasted longer than he had expected, but in the end he had lost the fight. Now it’s up to you, Saru, he thought. Look after the village and make sure that the children there will have a bright future.

Izuna reached out for his hand. "I'm sure you were very heroic," he said with a smile. "I hope the others feel the same way. After all, I was Hokage. "In astonishment, Izuna looked at him. "You were Hokage?" His gaze wandered to the rock. "We'll have to engrave your face there as well, then."

Tobirama followed his gaze with a smile, then looked around a little. "What is going on here? Why does it look like this?"

Shoulder shrugging, Izuna replied. "As I said, it was like this when I came back. I don't remember being anywhere after I died. After you had summoned me and released the jutsu, I ended up here. It probably looks like that because I went on a little trip back then in Konoha. These could be my memories.”

"You did what?" Tobirama hoped he had misheard, but he hadn't, because Izuna grinned crookedly and apologetically. "I'll tell you later. But I wanted to see Madara again. You have to tell me all about him.”

"I will. Later. After all this time, I don't want to talk about your brother first."

"You don’t?" Izuna asked smiling and picked up the bag.

Tobirama shook his head. "Is anyone else here besides us? Hashirama probably?"

Izuna seemed concerned. "Hashirama has already died too?" In reply he received a nod. "No. And since I've been here, no one else has shown up either. You're the first."

"So, I'm lucky to have ended up with you and not somewhere else," Tobirama replied with a slight grin and received a kiss from smiling Izuna in return.

"Come on. I'll show you where we live." With one hand he pulled him with him.

Together they sat on the dock, their trouser’s rolled up, the feet dangling in the cool water. Izuna had leaned his head on Tobirama's shoulder and looked together with him towards the sunset.

This was a good way, to spend eternity.

  
\- The End -

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this OS. Love to everyboy who loves TobiIzu <3


End file.
